Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Angels...Quantum Travelers

There's been a lot written about angels in the last few years. Who are they really, and what do they have to do with Christians?

Messengers, Protectors, Providers
We see angels on many occasions in the Word. When they've appeared, it's as though the veil is lifted between the spirit and the natural, and we're given a glimpse of the Kingdom of God. They appeared throughout both the Old and New Covenants, as messengers, protectors and providers. Remember the three Hebrews in the furnace, or Daniel in the lion's den? Jacob's ladder?
How about the time the King of Aram had sent soldiers to capture Elisha?

'Now when the attendant of the man of God had risen early and gone out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was circling the city. And his servant said to him, "Alas, my master! What shall we do ?" So he answered, "Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them." Then Elisha prayed and said, "O LORD, I pray, open his eyes that he may see." And the LORD opened the servant's eyes and he saw; and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.' 
[2 Kings 6:15-17]

Moses described the protection of angels beautifully in Psalm 91...

'No evil will befall you, nor will any plague come near your tent. For He will give His angels charge concerning you, to guard you in all your ways. They will bear you up in their hands, that you do not strike your foot against a stone. You will tread upon the lion and cobra, the young lion and the serpent you will trample down.' [Psalm 91:10-13]

We saw how they provided for Hagar in the desert...or to be more exact, revealed the provision that was already there in the spirit! [Read Genesis 21, or read about it in Believe You Receive 2]! They also provided for Jesus after His 40 days in the wilderness [Matthew 4:11].
Primarily, however, they are known as messengers. We see them glorifying God at the birth of Jesus and announcing His birth to shepherds—a great example of the spiritual plane being revealed in the natural. They announced God's will throughout the Bible to men and women alike. And they announced His resurrection at the tomb to His followers.
In every case, angels demonstrate Psalm 103 and Hebrews 1...

'Bless the Lord, you His angels, mighty in strength, who perform HIs word, obeying the voice of His word! Bless the Lord, all you His hosts, you who serve Him, doing His will.' [Psalm 103:20,21]

'Are they [angels] not all ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?' [Hebrews 1:14]

In each role of messenger, protector and provider, they are performing His will—His word—which is to minister to us.
Quantum Travelers
More importantly, it is evident that they travel between the heavenly kingdom and the physical plane with ease.
Gabriel appeared to Daniel in answer to his prayer, and explained that from the beginning of his supplication (or prayer) he was sent forth, to bring understanding and insight [Daniel 9:20-23]. Later, in chapter 10, Gabriel appeared to him again, but this time explained that, although he was once again sent at the beginning of Daniel's prayer, was this time held up the prince of the kingdom of Persia. This is obviously an evil authority, reigning over Persia—Michael, another angel, came to his aid so he could complete his mission [Daniel 10:10-14]
So we see that angels can traverse between the spiritual and the natural, and that there is opposition in that plane from evil or opposing spirits.
The Last Days
Angels play a big role in the last days. In the Revelation, we see them active at every turn, interacting with the natural plane like never before.
Jesus tells us in Matthew 24 that "...He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other." This is right after He explains that He Himself will come on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory...Hallelujah!
Mark 13:27 puts it this way..."And then He will send forth the angels, and will gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest end of the earth to the farthest end of heaven."
In other words, angels will traverse that plane or corridor (or universe) between the spirit and the natural to gather believers from the natural and bring them fully into the spirit. They're like the Marines, sent to rescue us.
What really boggles the mind is that Psalm 84 tells us that that plane—the highway to Zion—is in our hearts! Paul's epistles tells us that we're already seated in heavenly places...Hebrews 12:22-24 reinforces that idea, explaining that we've already come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the Heavenly Jerusalem!
What exactly are the angels rescuing, then? It must be our natural bodies, which will, according to the word, be glorified. This is evidently what happened to Enoch and to Elijah—they were there one minute, gone the next, precursors of what is commonly known as The Rapture.
John 7:39 talks about Jesus being caught up to heaven as being glorified...'But this He (Jesus) spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.' Even before he left, it was obvious that His physical body was different...He appeared, disappeared, and walked through walls!
Why Don't We See Them More Often?
In The Holographic Universe, Michael Talbot recounts several instances of the expectation of scientists having a direct impact on the results. In some cases, the finding of certain experiments varied from country to country. Why? Expectations, based on cultural biases! Very interesting...
In My Humble Opinion, it is because the deception of rationality has closed our minds to these types of experiences. It is obvious from the Bible that angels were frequent visitors, in both the Old and New Testaments. So why not now?
Or, to be more exact, why don't we see them more often...it's clear from Hebrews 1 that they are here and rendering service for us!
I think it's because we don't expect it...and really, most of us don't want it. We don't want to be too 'weird' or 'out there' or 'fanatical.' We plod along, in largely un-victorious lives, and wonder where the wonder is. Yet we refuse to believe in anything we can't touch or see.
Well, I'm done with that. I'm taking off the blindfolds, giving up the preconceived notions, opening up my mind to all that God is in me and for me. It's time for a paradigm shift...wake up!

Sunday, May 20, 2012

Quantum Possibilities

Over the last century, Quantum Physics [QP] has really come into it's own. Mystics everywhere are jumping on the bandwagon, claiming a new theology or understanding of the cosmos.

What they don't realize is the Quantum Physics is merely the scientific explanation of the Word. For example, the unity of all things is a tenet of QP—the multiverse [multiple or parallel universes] another. Consider these scriptures:

'In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was the life, and the life was the Light of men. And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, gory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.' [John 1:1-5,14]

'He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.' [Colossians 1:17]

'For in Him we live, and move, and have our being...' [Acts 17:28]

'...and [He] upholds all things by the word of HIs power.' [Hebrews 1:3]

'For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete...' [Colossians 2:9,10]

'...and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ.' [Ephesians 2:5,6]

'How blessed is the man whose strength is in You, in whose heart are the highways to Zion!' [Psalm 84:5]

"I am in the Father and the Father is in Me...If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him." [John 14:12,23]

"Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven..." [Matthew 6:10]

"For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst [or within you]." [Luke 17:21]

'But you have come to Mount Zion and the the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous mad perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel.' [Hebrews 12:22-24]

'But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him.' [1 Corinthians 6:17]

Of course, there are hundreds of scriptures which talk about the Kingdom of God or the Kingdom of Heaven—the Jerusalem above. In the New Testament there are many that place us 'in Him' or 'through Him.' In previous posts, we've talked about the unseen realm—the well of Hagar, Isaac's ram, Elisha's army, the transfiguration, etc. Anywhere in the Word where the veil is peeled back for us to see the unseen—these all refer to the realm of the Spirit, or what QP refers to as a parallel universe.

These things are real, not because QP has just discovered them, but because they are the way God created the universe, and QP is just now finding out about them!

Quantum Promises
Understanding that we are one Spirit with the Lord, seated with Him in heavenly places and walking about on the earth, it is clear that we live multidimensionally. Of course, the world itself is in Him [and He is us, individually and collectively]—try to wrap your head around that!

Now it is easier to understand verses like'...all things belong to you, and you belong to Christ; and Christ belongs to God' [1 Corinthians 3:22,23] and "All things are possible to him who believes." [Mark 9:23; 10:27] These are quantum verses!

QP states that for each of us there are a multiplicity of universes—a universe where you're married, one where you're not, one where you have kids, one where you don't, etc. The theory is that these universes branch from each decision we make—all things are in mathematical and physical reality possible for us. However, most of us walk around blind to these realities, bound by limiting beliefs ["I can't..." or "That would never happen for me..." etc.]

But the Word says that all things—all paths or universes, if you will—are possible if you believe. If you believe what? If you believe they are possible! When Jesus said this, He was talking to a man who had come for help for his son. He was torn between believing that Jesus could help him and the natural, rational viewpoint—that nothing could be done. [If QP has done anything, it has freed us from the bonds of rationality! One physicist has stated that QP is akin to asking the marital status of the number 5...it isn't that the number 5 is married or not, but that the question makes no sense in any context!]

Jesus made it clear that the universe containing a healthy son was predicated on the father's belief! Think of how many times in the Gospels He said "Your faith has made you well..." When He told us to talk to mountains and trees in faith, He wasn't kidding! He was revealing quantum truths, showing how things really work.

The Tower of Babel
Let's look at the story of the tower of Babel. Men had come together in unity to do a seemingly impossible task—to the rational mind, even with today's technology, it seems an impossible task. But God said "Behold, they are one people, and they all have the same language [literally 'one lip' or 'one speech']. And this is what they began to do, and now nothing which they purpose to do will be impossible for [literally 'withheld from'] them..." [Genesis 11:6] Think about that!

These people were speaking and acting in unity. God, Who is the Author of QP, and founded the universe with it, knew that nothing would be impossible for [or withheld from] them. QP is, in effect, God's MO [modus operandi—how He works], and man, being made in His image, works just like Him!

What's It Have to Do With Me?
Good question. If it is true, scientifically, mathematically and spiritually, that in front of us lie endless paths creating endless universes [some say they are next to one another...yikes, my brain is bending] and if it is in our power to choose any one of the 'all things' then this has everything to do with everything.

Think about salvation...we choose redemption by believing in our hearts and saying with our mouths that God raised Jesus from the dead. [Romans 10:9] We choose our destiny in a moment!

God told Israel "See, I have set before you today life and prosperity [good], and death and adversity [evil]...I call heaven and earth [both planes of existence] to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants..." [Deuteronomy 30:15,19]

So, it would seem, the choices are ours. The power [hand] of life and death truly is in the tongue.

Related posts: YadHow Did He Do That

Thursday, May 10, 2012

The Power of Purpose [re-post]

[Originally published May 1, 2009I've already re-posted it three times, but every time I re-read it, it speaks to me. So, here it is again!]
Proverbs 13:12 says ‘Hope deferred makes the heart sick…’ I was praying, feeling very heart sick, because while I know the hope of the gospel, I was not seeing the results I had hoped for in the natural realm.
And I heard “You must take hold of the hope set before you. Look at the unseen—you have seen the truth that, in the Spirit, all things belong to you, richly to enjoy. You have seen the truth that, in the Spirit, all of My promises are yes in Him. And I have showed you the truth about the unseen realm from My word…Hagar’s well, Isaac’s ram, Elisha’s army…you have heard that My angel encamps around those who fear or revere Me. My word is true and established forever in the Spirit. You must take hold of spiritual reality to bring the unseen into manifestation.”
I asked “How do I do that, Lord?”
He replied “You purpose in your heart to take hold of the blessings that belong to you. You purpose in your heart to see the unseen, to walk in My blessing, to walk in the fullness of My Spirit.”
In Jeremiah 4:28, God says “…because I have spoken, I have purposed…” We know that our words are important in creating our reality from both New and Old Testament truths. But we may be missing the element of intent, or purpose, when we speak.
For example, I have known for years that God’s promises have included favor, wisdom, health, riches, honor, long life and blessings for my family and me. I have confessed them endlessly, and have seen results in some of these areas. But the areas of greatest need seem to go unchanged, and this was causing me to be sick of heart. I knew what the word promised, but couldn’t seem to receive its fulfillment in the natural.
Before the Foundation of the World
Faith appropriates what God has already accomplished.
Hebrews 4:3 says that ‘…His works were finished from the foundation of the world.’ We also know that Jesus was the Lamb slain before the foundation of the [Revelation 13:8] and that we were chosen in Him from before the foundation of the world [Ephesians 1:4].
Psalm 119:89 says ‘Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled [stand firm] in heaven…’ and Jesus told us to pray “Your will be done, on earth, as it is in heaven.”
So we know that, in the Spirit, in heavenly places [where we are seated already in Christ] that every need is met according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus [Philippians 4:19] and He has given us the desires of our heart [Psalm 34:7].
Psalm 34:10 says ‘…but they who seek the Lord shall not be in want of any good thing’ and I Corinthians 3:22,23 tell us that ‘…all things belong to you, and you belong to Christ; and Christ belongs to God.’
Missing Factor?
What, then, is the missing factor? We know the Word, we speak the Word…but we are not always seeing the results promised.
I believe that one of the missing factors is the power of purpose…the power of what the Bible calls the intent of the heart. [The other is probably not seeing, feeling and saying the thing accomplished]
In the story of the tower of Babel, God remarks that ‘…nothing which they purpose to do will be impossible for them.’ [Genesis 11:6]
He knew that men, even unregenerate men, were created in His image—since His word does not return to Him empty, without accomplishing His desire—what He sent it for [Isaiah 55:11], neither would theirs.
The entire book of Proverbs instructs us in the power of our words, and Jesus taught us to speak to mountains and trees. But we must believe in our hearts—we must set our purpose, our intent, that what we say WILL come to pass, because God said that it would. Since it is impossible for Him to lie and everything He says comes to pass, His word concerning our words is established spiritual law.
Some have suggested that God is merely setting up hoops for us to jump through. How sad that they don’t know the love God has for us. No, He is explaining how things work—the natural realm responds to the word spoken in faith—with purpose. And it works that way because He said it would…
In the prophetic 50th chapter of Isaiah, Jesus talks about His crucifixion. He says “Therefore, I have set My face like flint, and I know that I will not be ashamed. He Who vindicates Me is near; who will contend with Me?” He knew that to accomplish His task on the earth, He would need to set His purpose—the intent of His heart—to go ahead with His assignment no matter what it looked like. He took hold of the hope set before Him—the hope of resurrection, the hope of bringing many sons to glory, the hope of Satan’s defeat, the hope of the joy of His Father.
So too we must take hold of the hope set before us in the Word—purpose in our hearts—to receive the promises and blessings of God in the earth.
Forever Settled
I see God’s word, forever settled in heaven, like a canopy above us, filled with all precious and pleasant riches [Proverbs 24:4]. We are told to look at the unseen and take hold of the hope—so we look at His forever settled word and speak “Your will be done, on earth, as it is [present tense] in heaven…”
Hagar needed water for her son, Ishmael…God revealed the well that was there all along. Abraham needed a ram to sacrifice in place of his son…God revealed the ram caught in the bush. Elisha’s servant needed to know that he and Elisha were protected, so Elisha prayed that God reveal His army to him.
These were not magically created at the moment of need—they were revealed—there all along. Why?
Because God had promised Abraham concerning the well being of both of his sons—His covenant promise to Abraham formed the answer to every need in the spiritual realm. The provisions were there because they had to be there for God’s word to be true! Forever settled!
Know Your Covenant
Elisha knew his covenant. He knew that God had promised him protection and blessing in the covenant promises of the Torah. So the angels had to be out there for God’s promises to be true! And he spoke the words…
”Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” Then Elisha prayed and said “O Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” And the Lord opened the servant’s eyes and he saw; and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around him.’ [2 Kings 6:16,17] Isn’t it interesting that he gave the word first and then prayed?
We need to get this into our hearts and minds—God’s word is true! We appropriate the provisions set out in it by faith—believing in our hearts and speaking with our mouths. Purposing in our hearts that God’s word is true, settled forever and spoken for us. Setting our intent to receive what He has promised.
Speak With Intent
It is clear that God speaks with the express purpose of His words coming to pass. [Isaiah 55:11] And we are told to act like Him, like children imitating their Father. [Ephesians 5:1] We are born of Him [I John 5:1,4]—Jesus is the Firstborn of many brethren [ref] and we are those brethren!
Therefore, we are to speak with intent—the intent of knowing that John 14: 13,14 is true—“Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.”
The intent of knowing that John 15:7 is true—“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”
The intent of knowing that 1 Corinthians 1:20 is true—‘For as many as are the promises of God, in Him They are yes; therefore also through Him is our Amen [so be it] to the glory of God through us.’
The intent of knowing that all of the promises of deliverance, healing, abundance, wisdom, long life, blessings for ourselves and our children are true! Speak them with the same intent that God had when He first spoke them—that they should come to pass! Hallelujah!
We set our faces like flint to receive by faith what is already ours, bought and paid for. We purpose in our hearts to be more than overcomers—that our faith is our victory—that, being born of God, we overcome the world. We resolve to be rooted and grounded in love—to be filled with the glory of God as His temple.
We resolve to prove what the good and acceptable will of God is in our lives by renewing our minds to His truth [Romans 12:1,2]…to not be disappointed or ashamed of our hope…of our Father and His will towards us. Set your heart, your purpose, your intent to manifest the good will of God in your life today.